This invention is in the field of safety equipment and in particular a device for temporarily securing a stair runner to protect floors when moving furniture and the like.
Furniture movers take all possible steps to prevent damage to floors. Commonly, runners are employed particularly on hallways, stairs and high traffic areas. The runner is a fabric material laid down over the floor, and commonly is rubber-backed to prevent slipping.
Stairways present a safety threat when runners are used, because there is presently no way to secure the runner in place. It is common to see the movers push the runner back in place every time an item is carried up or down the stairs. Even with a rubber back the stair runner will move, creating a wrinkle which can trip a mover. Movers often lose patience with the stair runner and remove it. The mover must then often clean or repair damage caused to the floor.
Permanently installed stair runners are known, and held in place by adhesive or by a rod along the bottom of each stair riser. For temporary use these methods and devices are not practical because of the damage caused by the adhesive or fasteners.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a device for temporarily securing a stair runner on a staircase.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device that may be quickly adapted for use on various commonly encountered staircase surfaces.
The invention provides, in one aspect, a device for temporarily securing a stair runner on a staircase. The device comprises an elongated shaft; an extension member extending from a first end of the shaft, and having a distal end removed from the shaft and a proximate end; wherein the extension member is biased outward from the first end of the shaft, such that the extension member is movable from an extended position to a retracted position; a second end of the shaft and the distal end of the extension member terminating in a head, the head adapted to grip a surface and resist lateral movement of the head; wherein a length of the device when the extension member is in the retracted position is less than a width of a stair; and a handle extending substantially radially from the shaft.